Circleslide

Wow, Where to begin?

Circleslide had the opportunity to play at a Festival in Albany, OR this past weekend for Mike Silva Ministries.

We had a great time playing on the “Fringe Stage”, and also opening the Main Stage for Superchick, Newsboys, and Skillet.

God’s hand was clearly with us this entire weekend. Originally we were not scheduled to open main stage, but due to a competition that we won between the bands on the fringe stage, we were able to do so.  It was amazing for us in that all but one of the songs we played were songs from our new album “echoes Of The Light”, and we had never performed them live before, and didn’t have a clue as to how they would be received by an audience, or judges for that matter.

Main stage was a great experience for me! I had never been on a main stage before.

There were many other things that happened during the weekend where it was undeniable that God was moving. On Sunday morning, we had the opportunity to play one of our new songs for a church in Seaside, Oregon. It was the first time that pre-sales of our new album were available at a concert. we were overwhelmed with the positive reception,  and were treated like family

Even though it was great for us to get the pre-sales, play main stage, and do so many of the other things that would take too much time to write out and talk about, there was one thing that happened this weekend that stood out above everything else.

On Saturday afternoon, our producer and great friend, Brandon Bee was playing at the festival.  Brandon is on the same management company as were are, and our manager Keith flew out for the weekend. As Brandon finished his set and was getting off of the stage, Keith and I struck up a conversation with a guy by the name of Rick Baker. Rick began to tell us with as much enthusiasm as a child has on Christmas morning that he had given his heart to the Lord that very morning because of an invitation that was given at the festival, a few hours prior.

“I’M GONNA SEE YOU AND GOD IN HEAVEN WHEN I DIE!!!” was one of the many things he said to Keith and me during our conversation.

As he told us his story, it was cool to hear how God had been putting people and situations in his life to soften, and bring him closer to God.  Rick told us that he had been an Alcoholic for fifteen years and due to a conversation he had with someone a few weeks prior, he decided to quit drinking and was fifteen days sober on the day he asked Christ into his heart.

I say all of this because it was so perfect for me to see.

It can be so easy at times to lose focus and forget what our duty as Christ followers. We are called to love, minister, and bring people closer to Jesus in everything that we are, and all that we do.

Although Rick felt like we were pouring into his life, the converse was also true. I couldn’t have been more blessed to hear his testimony and see REAL life change happening before my very eyes, so this note is a simple way to welcome another brother on the journey, and to offer up praise to God for all of his blessings.

He is MIGHTY to SAVE!!

~Lee

Christmas Carols, Christmas Tunes, Holiday Music…like a magical switch that activates the ‘official’ beginning of the season…once I hear a really familiar Christmas Song on the radio…I realize that it’s that time of the year again.

More so than the decorations, fruitcake, or stores converted into Sacred Halls of Buying and Spending, or even the occasional Mall Santa…If I hear brenda lee singing ‘jingle bell rock’, or the ‘dance of the sugarplum fairy’ from the ‘nutcraker suite’, or ‘christmas wrapping’ by the waitresses…I’m immediately transported into the ‘christmas’ state of mind…snow or no snow…

So, my fellow bandmates and I thought we’d share what our favorite Christmas Tunes are…feel free to keep this going in the comments section…you never know when we’ll get the inkling to record some of these.

Eric: “Lib and I both like Seven Day Jesus’s version of “O Holy Night”.  It is an amazing arrangement that comes out like a passionate worship song more than a “Christmas” song.  I’ve done an arrangement of “the little drummer boy” that is really cool as well.  (pretty much play it with almost no drums, just focusing on the words.  If you get rid of the pa rump a pum pum’s the words are really powerful.”

Lee: ” I’d really have to say dave matthews band’s ‘christmas song’ just because of how unique it is… I just really, really like that. As far as christmas carols…“Silent Night” has always felt like the most reverent of them all to me. Not just that, but it  always just seems to strike that familiar chord as far as my childhood memories go,  here in Indiana, being with family, holding candles, and all of that…

Jonathan: “It’s always been a dream of mine to go visit Israel… walk where Jesus walked…see for myself all the places I’d read about.  I guess, for that reason, “O little Town of Bethlehem” really is my favorite…and no one sings it better than my man, Nat King Cole. Too bad we don’t need fireplaces down here in Corpus Christi…or else I’d roast some chestnuts and crank that thing up, right now.”

Gabe: “I love songs of good cheer…i’m a jolly person, usually, on the outside…but inside, it’s all melancholy and woeful blues. For me, my favorite is a true christmas ‘blues’ song…full of hope, theology, sadness and wonder: ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’…and Sufjan Stevens performs a haunting version on his Songs For Christmas Album.”

So there you go…those are our faves…let’s all get together and go caroling sometime.

-gabe

back on november 7th, something happened that really wrecked me.

I was in a hotel lobby in san antonio, working on my macbook, finishing up some details before the show, when i did something very stupid and incredibly illogical, i carried my open macbook on my palm, like a waiter carries a tray of food. I was in a hurry to print a few things…when i walked to the business room i saw that the printer was being used, and in my haste i did a kind of ’spin’ move…and you know the rest. The computer wobbled, i lost control, and it fell to the cement floor…bouncing a few times…each time, a punch to my stomach.

the now closed computer rested upside down on the floor. I picked it up, and walked to a chair in the lobby…i was sitting there, knowing that when i flipped the screen, i would not be happy…but i breathed a prayer, and opened it anyway. A kaleidoscope of black and blues flickered in front of me like stained glass…only much less inspiring.

my screen was beyond damaged…and i felt sick. This year began with a broken down van, and so this feeling was familiar to me…helplessness. Like the van, here was  a tool that i had taken for granted, but one so essential to my job, that to be without it, was inconceivable to me…but Life, and the show, had to go on…so we took the stage at Godstock.

But like a bad report card in your back pocket that you know you HAVE to show your parents…I knew there was a painful reality waiting for me as I went home.

This was all very frustrating and yet, in the time that i didn’t have my mac…i instead spent it praying, interceding, and talking with God about all of this and so much more.  He knew my financial situation. He knew there was no way I could replace or even repair this thing…the budget had gotten rather tight.

And so rather than wasting time on ‘youtube’ or ‘rottentomatoes’ or ‘facebook’ or ‘hulu’…I buried my face in God’s word…and the more i did, the more  i found myself hungry for it. I was thirsty for true water…and I began to realize how spiritually dehydrated I really was.

Later, we performed a concert at a place called, of all things, ‘the miracle center’. Afterwards, i met a couple as I left the stage…some friends from a long, long time ago.

we spoke for literally 10 seconds, I shook their hands…as I was rushed by the church staff to our merch table to sign autographs.

they got a hold of my dad, somehow, and told him they wanted to buy me a new guitar…and that it would be available sometime in february.

I was very excited, as you can imagine, and then an idea popped into my head…i mentioned to my dad that more than a new guitar, i really, really needed a new computer.

weeks went by, and i forgot about this offer…but a couple of days ago my dad relayed the message to these amazing people and when they heard i was in need of a new computer, they told him that i should email them, and that they would buy me a new computer right away.

that was yesterday.

i just got back from the store and picked  up a new macbook…the one I’m using right now to type these words. It’s a miracle…that’s all I can say.

i was able to transfer all my backed up files…and so all my songs, emails, documents…are right here…as if i’d never busted my other mac.

This shows me God’s faithfulness in such a powerful way…and encourages me so much, i can’t even put it into words…

I’m so glad to be ‘plugged’ in again…i really am…and yet…I’m so grateful for this ‘break’ i’ve had. I’ve been fed, and i’m hungry for more…I’ve been reminded of the words of Christ when He said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

amen to that…

gabe